Improvement in amalgamators



3 Sheets-Sheet 1. P. PLANT.

Amalgamator. No. 220,171. Patented Sept. 30,1879.

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P. PLANT.

Amalgamator.

No, 220,171. Patented sept. 30,1579.4

.I C I BL/ /L/s Attorneys PMM M.

MFEIERS. PHcTu-LITHDGRAPNEH. WASHINGTON. D CA UNITEDSTATES PATENTOrrron.

PASCI-IAL P LANT, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

`IMPROVEMENT IN AMALGAMATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 220, 171, datedSeptember 30, 1879; application filed v August 2, 1879.

To all whom il may concern.' Beit known that I, PAsCHAL PLANT, ofWashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certainImprovements in Amalgainators for separating gold from ine quartz orearthy matters, of which the following is a speeiication.

The object of my invention, more particu- 'larly, is to secure the veryline particles of gold, which often pass away with the tailings in theprocess of Washing, and b ecome waste. I, however, also provide forseparating any heavy particles, which is a less difticult matter.

My invention consists in providing a series ot' steeply-inclined rfescarrying amalgamator-plates and having shallow mercuryrecesses, and inflowing the line gold-bearing substance with water through a peculiarfeeding-sluice in small streams to the rittles, and over them, as I will,nowv describe in detail by reference to lheaccompanying drawings, inwhich- Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section of my apparatus;`Fi'gi12",1.a,vertical transverse section on the line2.... t'Fi`g,.11.;.Fig. 3, a bottom-plan-view `of la partof mysluice Fig. 4, a plan view ofthat part of my sluiee by which VI save large particles of gold; andFig. 5, a `-vertical longitudinal `section of 1the same on the line 5 5of Fig. 4.

In a suitable frame, A, I mount the steep rifes B. At the -top ofeach-is a horizontal step, a, onto which the water and earthy matterdrops from the sluice or feed-water box O above, where it spreads in avery thin stream, and flows down the ritlies, over amalgamator-plates b,and over the quieksilver, to

-, becontained in small amounts in the shallow recesses@ and finallyfalls into a waste-race underneath.

' My sluicefQ, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, has no provision forlcatching large particles of gold,w'hicl1 will not usually be found inthe'inepowdered ore; and :it consists of an ordinary box or waterway,except that its botto'm is corrugated longitudinally, as shown insection in Fig. 2, and provided with small -apertures in the bottom' ofeach channel, so as to deliver onto the horizontal step a of each rife.

Guards E, consisting of downwardly-projecting plates, either straight orcurved, as shown in Fig. 3, direct the iow accurately to the steps.

In Figs. 4 and 5, I show boxes F under the front end of the sluice,which may be provided with st-rainers G and water-guard plates H, ifdesired, for catching any particles of gold having sufficient gravity tobe thus separated.

It will now be understood that my plan of separating exceedingly tine orloatiug gold is to cause a low of fine earthy matter containing the samemixed with water in a stream so thin, down my numerous rifllcs, that thewater shall have the slightest possible buoyancy for the gold, and notsufficient force to carry the gold away from the amalgamatiugsurfaces,with which, by the very thin stream em'ployed, it is brought in contact.

It will be perceived that I can supply' almost innumerable rites, lyingagainst or resting over each other, and thus give great workingcapacity, although each single rifde receives but little ore, fromwhich, however, it will extract the gold thoroughly.

The riftle-recesses should not be more than about one-eighth of an inchin depth or width, and should be filled flush with mercury, so

i tained.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim to be new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is-

The steeply-inclined rifes resting against or lying overeach other,forming a series, substantially as described.

2. In combination with a series of steeplyinclined riflies, constructedwith tables a and notches c, a. sluice or feedwvater box provided Intestimony that I claim the foregoing I with openings for delivering onthe upper end have hereunto set my hand and seal this 17 th of eachriile iu the series, substantially as deday of J uly, 1879. scribed.

3. In combination with the steeply-inclined rifies, the feed-water boxprovided with the longitudinally corrugated bottom, having Witnesses:small apertures along the same for suppl ying C. XV. M. SMITH, theseries of riies, substantially as described. J AMES C. WARD.

PASCHAL PLANT. [L. S.]

